All posts by Pia Abola

The generosity and spirit of the Alameda community is amazing. On Sunday, February 11, the Alameda Soccer Club held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Hornet Futsal Court, located at the site of the unused tennis courts adjacent to Hornet Soccer Field. While the main funding to refinish the court came from the San Jose Earthquakes, the US Soccer Foundation, and the Alameda Soccer Club, this wonderful new facility could not have been built without the hard work and generosity of so many Alamedans. We at the Alameda Soccer Club would like to loudly thank all of the volunteers who gave so freely of their time and labor, local businesses who donated tens of thousands of dollars-worth of goods and services, and city officials who supported and advocated for this project.

Coker Pump & Equipment Co. — Erik Coker for the loan of the power washer used to prep the site and the generators that powered the ribbon cutting event

20/20 Productions (Andy MacKay) & Event Magic (Eddie Cantrell) — thanks to both of your companies and teams for audio visual, stage, and production expertise that made the ribbon cutting event run so smoothly

SpeedPro East Bay — Ed Owens and team for donating many of the banners for the Hornet site and printing so quickly at the last minute (they really are speedy!)

And last, but definitely not least, Eugene Demmler, past president of Alameda Soccer Club whose tireless work, persistence, and vision navigated so many logistical, political, and monetary hurdles to take a once unused eyesore and turn it into a great new sports facility for the community.

Everyone involved in youth sports is becoming aware of the risks associated with concussions. ASC is adopting policies consistent with already published concussion guidelines from the US Soccer Federation (USSF), where our focus is on the health and safety of our players. (USSF’s full Recognize to Recover injury prevention initiative, which also includes information on cardiac safety and heat-related illnesses, can be found here).

All coaches must review the protocol and complete the online CDC training program on head trauma called “Heads UP: concussion in youth sports.” We also encourage parents and older players to read the protocol and complete the training course.

NOTE: Coaches, parents, and players MUST COMPLY with the referee’s decision to remove a player suspected of head trauma. That player CANNOT reenter the game until cleared by a medical professional.

Congratulations to the U15 Girls Team for a first place finish at Fremont’s Kick or Treat Tournament this past weekend. Through aggressive first-to-the ball action, targeted passing, and great teamwork, the Islanders were able to defeat the Tracy Terminators in the championship game, 2-1.

Defenders Hannah Corpuz, Katie Hung, and Payton Dean formed the core of the Islander defense, allowing only a single goal against the Islanders all tournament. Morgan Devlin, Kendyl San Nicolas, and Mackenzie Gorman-Miller maintained tight control of the defensive wings, keeping goalie Katie Modic well protected.

Offensive efforts were led by Lauren Lum, who scored a total of four of the Islanders eight goals before leaving early in the final game after fracturing her clavicle. Olivia Sprouse scored one goal in each of games two and three, Becca Stiling scored one goal in game three, and Jackie Lim scoried the final goal of the tournament to win the championship.